From Charlotte to D.C. – officers biking for a cause

GIBSONVILLE – They rolled into Gibsonville shortly before noon Friday, the midday sun bouncing off the chrome of their snazzy rides.

There were 55 of them – stretched out a good ways along N.C. 100 as they entered town. Almost all were law enforcement officers, but this is one time they weren’t on the lookout for ne’er do wells.

This bunch was biking, biking for a cause. They were cycling as part of the Law Enforcement Bicycle Ride to D.C. They started in Charlotte on Thursday morning and rode to Asheboro, where they spent the night.

On Friday, they were headed to South Boston, Va., but stopped in Gibsonville for lunch. By Sunday night they’ll be in Washington, D.C. – cycling 500 miles in four days to honor comrades who died in the line of duty.

“I enjoy the camaraderie, but I also understand why we’re riding,” said Sgt. John Brodhage, a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper based in Gaston County.

Of the fallen officers they were riding to honor, Brodhage said, “If they could trade places with me, they would. When it starts to hurt a little, I remind myself of that.”

The Law Enforcement Bicycle Ride to D.C. was started in 2007, initiated largely to honor a pair of Charlotte police officers – Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton – who died April 1, 2007, while on duty.

On May 9, 2007, four bikers – representing the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office – decided to remember Clark and Shelton by riding to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington.

“We got through the funerals and the mourning,” said Ron Horton, information services manager for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and ride organizer.

“I had officers come to me and say, ‘I want to do something physical to remember these two.’”

And, so, off they went for Washington – only four riders and a single support vehicle that first year.

In the years since, they’ve continued to ride – ending each trek with a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Judiciary Square in Washington. The candlelight vigil – part of National Police Week – is held every May 13.

Since 2007, the number of ride participants has swelled.

Horton said 85 riders cycled from Charlotte to Asheboro on Thursday. Thirty of them did so primarily as a show of support for their cohorts – being bused back to Charlotte that night so they could return to work Friday.

Horton estimated that of the 55 who cycled into Gibsonville on Friday, about 50 are law enforcement officers who serve any number of agencies. Some riders are Charlotte police officers, but they’ve also got officers from as far away as Massachusetts and Washington state.

Another 10 people drive support vehicles – though officers emphasized there are no poop-out vans. Barring an emergency, everyone who sets off on the ride finishes it.

“The officers really like the plan,” Horton said. “Over the years we’ve refined the route and tightened things up a bit.”

N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Johnny Edwards of Fayetteville is taking the ride this year for the first time. He said the hills between Charlotte and Asheboro were especially grueling.

“It’s very demanding,” Edwards said, “but so far I’m having a good time.”

Terri Young, a deputy with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, has participated in the ride every year but one. Each participant is required to raise $550 – to help defray the expense of support vehicles and lodging.

Young said most riders raise more than the required amount, turning the trip into a fundraiser.

“It’s just a matter of asking,” Young said of those they solicit for donations. “Most like to help.”

The stop at the Greens in downtown Gibsonville has become something riders look forward to. Riders always eat at Reno’s Pizza, which is owned by Tiffany and Lui Lattero.

Ride organizers said the first year of the ride, they had trouble finding a place to eat until they stumbled upon Reno’s. They’ve gone back every year since.

“It’s become a tradition,” said Paul Paskoff, another CMPD employee and a member of the ride’s support staff.